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Stormtrooper Protocols
Military Courtesies and Honors As the Stormtrooper Corps has a unique and segregate chain of command that goes straight to the Emperor, the courtesies they render differ from that of other military organizations. Indoctrinated they only have loyalty to the Emperor and obey his commands, the Stormtrooper Corps courtesies offered reinforce that sense of detachment from other military units within the Empire. This generally leads to friction between branches, from time to time, that many would argue is intentional by design. Guidelines for addressing rank, civilians and other military personnel Enlisted personnel follow these guidelines when addressing their fellow Stormtroopers: # Troopers and Senior Troopers are always addressed either as ‘Trooper’ or as their numerical designator. # NCO’s (Lance Corporals, Corporals and Sergeants) are to be addressed either as their full rank or as their numerical designator. # Senior NCOs (Staff Sergeant through Sergeant Major) are to be addressed as either their full rank or their full rank followed by their surname, eg. ‘Sergeant Major’ or ‘Sergeant Major Veers’. # All officers are to be addressed as either Sir or Ma’am. An officer is never directly addressed by their rank. When referring to an officer in a conversation, the full rank and surname is used, eg. ‘Sergeant Major Veers, I request to speak with the CO, Captain Palpatine’. Commissioned officers follow these guidelines when addressing their fellow Stormtroopers: # Troopers and Senior Troopers are always addressed either as ‘Trooper’ or as their numerical designator. # NCO’s (Lance Corporals, Corporals and Sergeants) are to be addressed either as their full rank or as their numerical designator. # Senior NCOs (Staff Sergeant through Sergeant Major) are to be addressed as either their full rank or their full rank followed by their surname, eg. ‘Sergeant Major’ or ‘Sergeant Major Veers’. # All senior officers are to be addressed as either Sir or Ma’am, or as their full rank followed by their surname. Subordinate officers may be addressed either by their rank or the full rank followed by surname. All personnel follow these guidelines: # Imperial Naval Medics that are attached to a Stormtrooper Order of Battle, regardless of the rank they hold in the Navy, are always addressed as either Corpsman, or Corpsman followed by their surname. They are never referred to by the designator assigned to them. # When walking with an officer, the immediate subordinate always walks to the left, abreast, and in step with the senior. When walking with enlisted personnel, it is customary to walk along side of each other, in column of two's and in step with each other. # When in a formal classroom setting, such as the Academy, all instructors are to be referred to as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’, regardless of ranks. An instructor is always considered the senior and the students a subordinate, even if a student is a Legion General. In an informal classroom setting or field training environment, the normal guidelines for addressing rank are followed. # All civilians are addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’. They are referred to using a civilian title followed by their surname, when appropriate, eg ‘Mr. Needa’ or ‘Dr. Piet’ # All officers of other Imperial Military branches or paramilitary organizations are addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’. In conversation, they are never referred to by rank, but by their position, eg ‘the captain of the ship, the XO of the garrison, the squadron leader, the AT-AT commander’. # Enlisted personnel of other Imperial Military branches are referred to generically as ‘Soldier’ for the Imperial Ground Forces and CompForce, ‘Crewman’ for the Imperial Navy, or ‘Agent’ for members of COMPNOR or Imperial Intelligence that hold a military or paramilitary rank. # All personnel of military units outside of the Empire, formally recognized or otherwise, are considered civilians for the purpose of protocol. Guidelines for rendering a salute Imperial Stormtroopers will only render a salute to the following personnel: # All officers of the Stormtrooper Corps # All commanding and executive officers of the Imperial Ground Forces and Imperial Navy, eg the Captain and XO of a ship, garrison, or task force. # Any civilian within a Stormtrooper’s chain of command that he or his superiors report to, eg a Moff, Inquisitor, Warlord. # Any dignitaries or government officials that hold a high office within the Empire, eg Imperial Advisors, System and Sector Directors, Directors, High Command, the Emperor. # Officers and dignitaries of foreign governments, even those formally recognized by the Empire, are not to be saluted. Procedures for rendering a salute # A salute is to be rendered to an officer within 6 to 30 paces, to allow both individuals enough time to react properly. If you come upon an officer unexpectedly, within 6 paces, a salute will be rendered. # A verbal greeting, appropriate for the time of day, such as “Good morning, Sir” or “Good afternoon, ma’am” will accompany every salute. # A salute is rendered only once if the senior officer remains in the vicinity. If a conversation takes place, a salute is rendered when either you or the senior officer departs. # The subordinate trooper will initiate the salute first and give the proper verbal greeting. The salute is held until the senior officer returns the salute and verbal greeting. The salute may be cut once the subordinate has been acknowledged. # If you are in a group of troopers and not in formation, then the first individual to notice the officer will call the group to attention. The senior ranked trooper will render the salute and give a verbal greeting. Once the salute and greeting have been acknowledged, the salute is cut and the group may carry on. # If you are in formation, the unit leader will call the unit to attention, face the officer, and render the salute and verbal greeting. Once the unit leader has been acknowledged, the salute will be cut, face back to the formation and carry on. Troopers in formation do not salute unless given the command to ‘present arms’ by the unit leader. The salute is held by the formation until the unit leader gives the command to ‘order arms’. # When armed with a standard issue blaster rifle, you will render a rifle salute and give a verbal greeting. # One does not render salute when indoors unless under arms. Under arms means you are armed with a weapon or wearing your utility belt. # A salute is not required when under fire, on patrol, guarding a prisoner, or any other circumstance that would interfere with a mission or combat patrol. # One does not render a salute when working or engaged in physical training, unless spoken to directly. Procedures for rendering a salute at military funerals # When a casket is carried past your position you salute until the casket passes. # A salute is given during the firing of volleys and the playing of musical honors. # If an officially recognized color of the Empire is draped over the casket, a salute is rendered while the color is then removed and present to the next of kin or designated recipient. # When the casket is jetissoned into space or interred into the ground, a salute is rendered in respect for the deceased. Common Procedures The following procedures provide guidelines of how to conduct oneself during the day to day operations of Stormtrooper personnel. Procedures for entering and exiting vehicles and ships # Whenever troopers are entering an Imperial ship or vehicle, the junior trooper embarks first and the senior trooper embarks last. # When exiting an Imperial ship or vehicle, the procedures are reversed. The senior trooper exits first and the junior last. # When participating in airborne exercises or missions, the jumpmaster is always the last to embark and disembark. # In combat, all casualties embark first with the Corpsmen, then the troopers regardless of rank. However, the senior trooper always embarks last. If Special Operations troopers are part of the order of battle, they embark immediately before and disembark immediately after the senior trooper. The senior SpecOp trooper embarks and disembarks with the senior trooper. Procedures for reporting to an officer when outdoors # Approach the officer and halt a meter in front of the officer at the position of attention. # Render a salute and verbal greeting, eg ‘Good morning, Sir’. # State your full rank, surname, and reporting as ordered. If ranked Trooper or Sr. Trooper, state your designator and reporting as ordered, eg. ‘Sergeant Major Veers reporting as ordered’ or ‘TK-1138 reporting as ordered’. # Hold the salute until it is returned or acknowledged. # When the officer gives the command ‘dismissed’ you will reply ‘Yes, Sir’, take one step back, render a salute and verbal greeting, then execute an about face and expeditiously leave. Do not hold the salute until returned. Procedures for reporting to an officer when indoors # Center yourself at attention one quarter meter from the officer’s desk. # If under arms, then render a salute and verbal greeting, eg ‘Good morning, Sir’. # State your full rank, surname, and reporting as ordered. If ranked Trooper or Sr. Trooper, state your designator and reporting as ordered, eg. ‘Sergeant Major Veers reporting as ordered’ or ‘TK-1138 reporting as ordered’. # Hold the salute until it is returned or acknowledged. # When the officer gives the command ‘dismissed’ you will reply ‘Yes, Sir’, take one step back, render a salute and verbal greeting, then execute an about face and expeditiously leave. Do not hold the salute until returned. # If not under arms, you will not salute and only offer verbal greetings. Otherwise the procedures are identical. Disciplinary Procedures All disciplinary procedures and punishments are meted out solely by and through the Stormtrooper Corps at the lowest command level feasible, ie, century, or cohort. Only in usual circumstances are disciplinary actions handled at the legion level of command or higher. In the event that a disciplinary action is requested by military personnel outside of the Stormtrooper Corps, the action is forwarded to the XO of the Legion for initial review. If the request for disciplinary action is determined to have merit, it is then forwarded down through the chain of command. Otherwise the request is denied. While not very efficient, it prevents frivolous disciplinary requests from interfering with a trooper’s job. Guidelines for disciplinary procedures # Administrative punishment is handled at the century level. This could be something as simple as a verbal warning, to a written admonishment that goes on the trooper’s service record. Labor detail or corporal punishment is only authorized at the century level or higher. # Punishment that involves a reduction of rank or removal of responsibilities occurs at the cohort level of command. # Capital punishment may only be approved at the Legion level of command. # Judicial hearings occur at the century level for breach of minor protocols and conduct. # Judicial hearings occur at the cohort level for crimes such as dereliction of duty, assault, and theft. # A Court Martial for treason against the Empire or the crime of murder is only heard at the Legion level of command, headed by the Legion XO and in extreme cases, presided over by the Legion General. # Any complaints of a trooper or recommendations of discipline that originate from outside the trooper’s Legion (including other Stormtrooper Legions) must be submitted by either the XO or CO of the unit, ship or garrison to the XO of the Legion. For example, if a trooper strikes a pilot aboard a star destroyer, the XO of the ship would submit the request to the XO of the Legion, rather than the wing commander or squadron commander. Once disciplinary proceedings have concluded, the results are communicated back to the XO of the Legion’s office which are directed to the originator of the request. Coordination with the Imperial Military The Stormtrooper Corps is as much of a police organization as it is a fighting force. Stormtroopers are stationed and garrisoned throughout the galaxy with Imperial Navy and Ground Forces assets to ensure they remain loyal to the Emperor. In the event that the officers of a ship wish to defect to the enemy, the Stormtroopers will secure the vessel using their overwhelming firepower and superior training. As such, the Legions attached to IGF and Navy assets maintain their independent chain of command. While Stormtrooper officers cooperate with other branches of the military to further the New Order, they are in no way obligated to follow orders that do not come down their chain of command from the Emperor. Generally, the senior officer of the largest unit attached to a duty station will issue standing orders. On a star destroyer this is usually the Legion General. The standing orders provide a framework for his junior officers and senior NCO staff to operate within when dealing with Navy and IGF personnel. If one of the standing orders aboard a ship is to provide security for the crew, it is perfectly acceptable for a security officer to order a trooper squad to pacify a dangerous situation aboard ship. However, if a pilot orders a trooper to retrieve the helmet they left in the ready room, the trooper is under no obligation to comply. General guidelines for accepting orders outside the chain of command # The order must come from a commissioned officer in the Imperial Ground Forces, Imperial Navy, or appropriate organizational commander the troopers are attached to. Orders from enlisted personnel are seldom considered except in extreme or unusual circumstances. # The order must be in the spirit of the trooper’s standing orders. If there is no clear determination of violation, the senior trooper or unit leader will make the final determination to accept the order or not. # Any orders accepted from outside the normal chain of command must be identified and included in the unit leader’s reports to his senior officer. # If an order is given that contradicts the preservation of the New Order or is considered to be treasonous to the Empire, the Emperor, or his Advisors, it is the trooper’s duty to immediately place that person under arrest and detained until they can be transferred to the custody of the ISB. # If an order is given that is not in the spirit of the trooper’s standing orders and the trooper refuses the order, the proper response is ‘I cannot follow that order, Sir (Ma’am). It is in violation of my standing orders.’ No further explanation is required to be given. # Should an officer outside the chain of command threaten arrest for non-compliance of their orders, they are to be informed of the proper procedure for recommendation of disciplinary action. Should the officer threaten violence, orders their subordinates to engage in violence or personally engages in violence against a trooper for non-compliance of their orders, the officer and accomplices are to be arrested and detained until they can be transferred into the custody of the ISB. Such examples would be physically striking a trooper or brandishing a weapon at the trooper in a threatening manner. # Act professionally at all times. The Stormtrooper Corps is the Emperor’s most trusted fighting unit in the Empire. When in doubt, consider how he would want you react.